Prospective initial public offerings in London, including those from Waterstones and SumUp, are reportedly considering delaying their listing plans until 2027.
The potential postponements represent a significant setback for the UK capital markets, which have been struggling to regain momentum after a prolonged drought in new listings.
The decision to delay comes amid a broader technology selloff that has found a new catalyst in reports that OpenAI is also considering postponing its IPO until 2027.
This sharp reversal from earlier indications of a near-term listing highlights the fragility of the current market environment for high-profile tech and retail issuers.
London’s status as a premier global listing hub is under severe strain, with the prolonged lack of major IPOs exposing deep-seated structural weaknesses in Britain’s capital markets.
The city is losing ground to other financial centers as companies seek more favorable conditions for raising capital.